This mistake will cripple your quiet time with God
Written by Brian Jennings, Posted in Blog, Lead Yourself, Your Family
You can have a decent friendship, for a while, but something in your friendship will always be broken if…
You can have a decent marriage, for a while, but something in your marriage will always be broken if…
You can study, pray and serve, but something in your relationship with God will always be broken if…
If you make any relationship primarily about you, it will always be broken. Last week I equipped our church with some practical tips, taken from Mark 1:35-39, for spending quiet time with God. But I carried one concern with me as I prepared: If our motivation is misplaced, no amount of practical tips will help.
You can know a friend, talk with a friend and spend enjoyable time with a friend, even if that friendship is ultimately for your own benefit. But there will be a limit to your closeness. Trouble will eventually brew. Distrust will eventually seep in. You can learn lots of tips about friendships, but if your satisfaction is your ultimate motivation, you’ll never experience the full potential of a deep, sacrificial friendship.
Spending time with God calms the spirit. It provides physical, emotional and, of course, spiritual benefits. But if personal benefit becomes your chief motivation, fractures will form in your relationship with God. Best case scenario, you’ll never have what God intended. Worst case scenario, you’ll be guilty of breaking the first commandment: Thou shall have no other gods before me. If your satisfaction becomes your priority, you’ve become your own god.
If you find yourself bored or apathetic in your relationship with God, hear the sirens. You’re aiming for personal satisfaction, as opposed to worship of your Creator.
God created us to worship Him. He desires our praise, our love and our companionship. When the deepest part of our soul truly loves God and longs to love Him more, everything else can fall into place. You’ll be able to apply some helpful tips. Apathy will be replaced with passion. And you’ll experience the fullness of what God has in store for you.
So here’s my question for you today: “Why do you want to spend time with God?”
Related Posts – 4 tips for spending quiet time with God (Mark 1:35-39)
